70th Anniversary of the London Blitz

Tuesday 7 September is the 70^th anniversary of the start of the Blitz, which saw London endure an eight-month long intensive campaign of bombing from the German Luftwaffe.

Take a walk around the streets of London and you will still see the effects of the Blitz. The bombings destroyed vast swathes of the city’s physical fabric, and this is clear in the city’s architecture today, with ancient structures sitting cheek by jowl with buildings of the post-war reconstruction.

Other cities including Liverpool, Manchester, Coventry and Cardiff were also targeted, but it was the capital that was hardest hit during the raids. Almost 30,000 Londoners lost their lives – out of a countrywide total of 60,000. Many more were rendered homeless, with more than a million buildings destroyed or damaged in London alone, including a number of historic Wren churches.

The Blitz raids were designed to destroy civilian and government morale, yet had entirely the opposite effect with people uniting in the face of such terrible adversity.

That’s why we’re proud to be hosting an exhibition of photographs dedicated to the men and women of the emergency, volunteer, transport and specialist services who kept London going during the 76 consecutive nights of the bombings (apart from the one night it was too cloudy).

During the campaign, the Underground became an important source of shelter. Few Londoners had room in their homes for an Anderson shelter, and so sought refuge Underground, as that is where they felt safest. Initially, the authorities in London discouraged people from sheltering in the stations, yet eventually gave into public pressure, and allowed use of some 80 Tube stations to house around 175,000 people.

To recognise the key role of the Tube during the Blitz, Aldwych station will also be opening up for the weekend of 24-26 September. This will offer a unique opportunity to descend into a disused Underground station and experience firsthand what it was like for the thousands who took refuge there. 

The London Transport Museum will also be hosting Under Attack, an exhibition documenting how transport workers kept the cities of London, Coventry and Dresden moving during the devastation of the Blitz.

As Londoners it is important that we look back as well as forward, and I hope that you can take the time to find out more about this historic event which was so important in shaping the city we know and love today.